What they are going to cost the community inwelfare?Why are they such a drag on the community?

But what about thepositive side? What about their contribution to the community?Did theynot pay their way? Didn’t they go and get jobs, pay taxes, contribute tosuperannuation, buytheir own homes – these things are never commentedon.

Why are they classfied as “Baby Boomers” (1946-1964) –isn’t it a humanright to get married and have children?Obviously during the war yearsthis didn’t happen but post war it did.

Why are we not thankfulfor thecontribution of Baby Boomers. Why don’t wethink about what society owes them,not whatthey are going to costsociety.

What do wecall the current generationthat increased population by making use of the baby bonus –“Baby Bonusers”?

BevHinton,WoodberryWhere’s the mayorSURFEST 2016 kicked off with a great Team’s Challenge at Stockton that culminated with a huge final day on Sunday.

This, along with the 3 Peas Markets at The Pine Trees, attracted the biggest crowd of locals and visitors seen in Stocktonfor years. It was a great day.

However what a shame that our Lord Mayor was nowhere to be seen.

I trust she is aware that Newcastle does not begin and end on the southern banks of the Hunter River and that she realises the position of Lord Mayor is to represent all members of the community.

I bet Lord Mayor Nelmes will be in plenty of media grabs when the main Surfest contest is at Merewether Beach.How about being a leader for all of your community and not just a select few.

And to the organisers of Surfest –well done.

Phillip Mallows, StocktonGive us some spaceALL this endless chatter about the use of shared paths is missing the bigger problem.

We are all travelling too close to each other and too fast in all modes of transport.

The most deadliest is the endless tailgating on roads. “Everyone tailgates,what are you talking about Dan”,I hear you ask?

“I’m a good driver and like to be safe”, I hear everyone say.

Guess what smartie?The safety gap required to the car in front is threeseconds,which is 45m at 60kmh.

Very few stick tothis safety gap, and this is the reason for so many rear-end collisions. Many people keep just aoneor two-secondgap to the car in front around Newcastle.

It is only because everyone else is tailgating that it is socially acceptable.Remember when drink-driving was socially acceptable?

So the challenge for people is to progress to safer driving, and to not follow the blind faith of other bad tailgating drivers.But sadly only bigger penalties, and enforcement will stop people doing the wrong thing.

Dan Endicott,IslingtonBolster the lockoutTHE Baird government seems to be preparing to weaken the liquor lockout laws that have been so successful in driving down assaults and criminal behaviour.

Instead of taking advice from bar owners (who have a vested interest)and some young people who seem to want to drink till they drop, the government should listen to the medical professionals and the police, who have all praised the success of these sensible laws.

In my view if there is to be any change, the laws should be tightened even further. It’s hard to understand why anyone needs to drink until the wee small hours of the morning.

Then we were going to have light rail, about two and a half kilometres of it.

Is it any wonder there have been rumblings that it won’t be built. If light rail is to be viable it needs to go out into the suburbs.

Has anyone thought about taking it out to places like Swansea, Edgeworth, Fletcher or any other place that generates a lot of traffic.

If such a light rail is to be built then it needs to be on a separate right of way.

That would include the rail corridor.

I say this because most of the roads around Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are not wide enough to accommodate light rail.

Newcastle is not like Melbourne or Adelaide where the streets are wide enough for the trams and light rail.

Trying to run trams along Hunter Street and Scott Street is only going to add to the city’s traffic woes.

Peter Sansom,KahibahWars and weddingsENGLANDhad her civil wars over the centuries about almost everything that opened and shut.

America had its civil war on the slavery question. Andnow the Port Stephens citizenry is having its own civil war on the amalgamation question.

It seems leaders of the non-amalgamation push from north of the Hunter River are blaming their predicament at the feet of the Newcastle council, though a new villain has entered the fray – the independent Lake Macquarie MP, Greg Piper.

We are also informed time and time again that Port Stephens Council is self-sufficient and doesn’t need to be hooked up to Newcastle.

If this is so, could Mayor Bruce MacKenzie or one of his cohorts please tell us south of the Hunter Riverwhy all those good citizens of Port Stephens commute everyday over the Tourle Street and Hexham bridges for?

It wouldn’t be for employment would it?

And could thosesame agitators also tellus how many of those commuters actually work for the “arch enemy” – Newcastle council.

The Port Stephens-Newcastle amalgamation isn’t the only amalgamation in the pipeline.

So if Mayor MacKenzie was really serious, why doesn’t he call a meeting of all affected councils to endorse one motion to be presented to Premier Baird –that unless the amalgamation question is taken off the table, all councils will recommend to their constituents to votefor the opposition.

But Ithinkthe shotgun wedding is coming. Ihope I get an invitation to the reception.